One Shot Stop
by ReddistheRose
Summary: A collection of one shots. Chapter Five: Sick Day About: Cindy's got the sniffles, and Neutron's got a plan.
1. Wordplay

**AN:** Hi, everyone! Geez, I have alot of one-shots floating around. Anyway, I thought it might be better if I start to put them all in one place. Ta-da! I hope you like this one...it's pretty random...but _SO _J/C. Please reveiw!

**Note:** There's a glossary at the end...you're gonna need it. ;)

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_Disclaimer: OH NO! I JUST REMEMBERED! I don't own Jimmy Neutron!_

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**Wordplay**

Jimmy smiled. Placing his wrench on the ground, he wiped his hand on the dirty rag beside him. "I'm finished, guys!" He said, as his canine and human friends looked on. "The hovercar should be fully operational."

"At least _something _around here is."

He turned to the voice with a snarl, facing her. "What's _that _supposed to mean?" He said, folding his arms in defense.

"Exactly what it sounds like." The blonde replied, putting her hands on her hips. "It's not everyday that something in the _Neutron _household is fully functional." She said, taking a step closer.

"My inventions work just fine! Some of them might need…tweaking, but-" Jimmy was unable to finish his denial before she jumped back in.

"I wasn't talking about just your inventions," Cindy said, poking his head, "Mr. Brain-dead."

"Brain-dead?" Jimmy snarled, glaring at her.

She smiled, oh-so-innocently.

"Why you…insipid diminutive _shoat_!" Jimmy shouted. He grinned slightly, proud of his impressive vocabulary.

"Uh-oh." Sheen whispered, glancing at Carl, who returned his look. "Here we go."

"Uh!" Cindy exhaled disgustedly. "Well, you're just a surfeit bodacious miasmatic cheese-smelling simpleton!"

Jimmy's eyes grew.

"What's the matter, flaccid face? Think you're the only one with a substantial lexis?"

"Hmmfph! You're so inarticulate and hirsute you remind me of a flatulent simian!" Jimmy hissed back.

"You've never even _seen _a pretentious arthropoid!" Cindy replied, rolling her eyes.

"I have now." Jimmy smirked.

"I never-" Cindy growled.

"Get used to it, you preposterous demoniac asinine."

"You are such a pompous assemblage!"

"I'm the magisterial agglomeration!" Jimmy heaved back, his eyes getting as big as the words they were exchanging.

Sheen leaned over and whispered to Carl, "I would jump in right about now, but I don't know what they're saying."

Carl nodded in agreement.  
"That's **right**!" Cindy yelled, shaking her fist at him. "And I have a proficient proclivity to chuck you to the moon!"

"Is that so? I didn't even know you had a medulla oblongata!"

"You just hasp your orifice."

"You first, you execrating ignoramus!"

"I've got _so _much malevolence and odium towards you!"

"Same here, you _extensive corpulent posterior head_!"

"" Cindy gasped- and, for two whole minutes after Jimmy had called Cindy a 'big fat butt head' in hefty terms, they glared lasers into each other.

A dog barked.

A cricket chirped.

Carl coughed.

"Hey," Cindy finally said, more calmly. "Wanna go into the municipality for some spumoni? It's absolutely searing out."

Jimmy looked up at the sky. "Yeah, that sounds good, actually." He nodded. "Hop in."

Cindy followed his direction, and with that, Jimmy kicked his hovercar into gear. As they watched the two leave, Sheen looked at Carl.

"What. Just. Happened?" He asked.

"I don't have any idea. It was all Greek to me." Carl said. Sheen scratched his head.

Goddard opened his screen, revealing a revelation: "No, that was English."

"Oh." Carl said, pausing to think that over. "Well, they would be a lot easier to listen to," He said, frowning, "if I knew how to speak English."

Sheen slapped his hand to his forehead. "You guys!" He said. "You're both wrong. Pht! Greek and English! Ha!"

Carl and Goddard looked at Sheen.

"They were speaking…" Sheen said, crouching down and whispering, "The language of loooooove."

Carl raised an eyebrow.

Goddard, had he had human eyes, would have found this an excellent opportunity to roll them. Being, however, only a robotic dog, he joined Carl in watching Sheen as he began manically laughing.

"Hmph." Carl finally said, petting Goddard. "I'll _never _understand my friends."

And Goddard, the super-computer brain built by a genius, could only agree.

* * *

JCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJ

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**Glossary:**

**Shoat: **PigSurfeit: stuffed full  
** Bodacious: **Unrestrained; unstoppable  
**Miasmatic: **Simpleton: Idiot  
**Flaccid: **Opposite of firm; liquidy  
**Lexis:** Vocabulary  
**Inarticulate:** Unable to talk  
**Hirsute: **Hairy  
**Flatulent:** Farts all the time  
**Simian: **Ape or monkey  
**Pretentious:** Vain  
Anthropoid: Primate; monkey  
**Preposterous:** Silly; ridiculous  
**Demoniac:** Possessed  
**Asinine:** Insanely foolish  
**Pompous:** Stuck-up  
**Assemblage:** Pile  
**Magisterial: **Like a tyrant  
**Agglomeration:** A jumbled mass  
**Proficient:** Got the skills  
**Proclivity: **inclination  
**Medulla Oblongata:** Part of the brain  
**Hasp: **Fasten; shut  
**Orifice:** Mouth  
**Execrating:** Evil; repugnant  
**Ignoramus:** Idiot  
**Malevolence: **Wishing evil on others  
**Odium: **Hate and disgust  
**Extensive:** Never-ending; large  
**Corpulent: **Fat  
**Posterior Head:** Butt head  
**Municipality: **Urban area; town  
**Spumoni**: Ice Cream


	2. Wake Up

**AN: **Hi, gang! I'm so glad you all liked the last chapter! This one changes the mood quite a bit- very sad this time, I'm afraid. This ficlet came about while listening to _"Miracle Drug"_ by **U2**. (Love that song!) It's not really a poem- or a songfic…it's…well, I just can't describe it. (I know, it's kind of short...) I do hope you like it though- please do drop me a review.

**Readrbug21: **Haha, no, I had to do some research for the words, sadly.

**Snowboarder9;Greg9570: **Thanks!

**Funkymunkey224: **Aww, shucks.

**acosta pérez josé ramiro: **You put us native English-speakers to shame, Haha! Glad you liked it!

**Mysticofthepen: **Thanks. I was just sick of the disarray my stories were in…

**Cutie5: **Thank you- I've come a long way since my first fan fictions!

_**Disclaimer:** "Sometimes, you can't make it on your own." -U2

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_

_(**Note: **To set the scene: Cindy is in the hospital, Jimmy come to see her. She has lapsed into a coma- no one knows if she will ever recover.)

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_

**Wake Up **

_- _

_I wish I could see into your mind. _

_- _

_I wish I could fix all your problems. _

_- _

_I want to be what you need- what you want, but I don't know where to start._

-

"Mr. Neutron? You may see her now."

_- _

_Your eyes are what I dream about now- the liquid pools of green I never noticed. _

_- _

_I constantly wish to feel your hands in mine- soft to the touch, strong under pressure; just like you. _

_- _

_The dark, dark lashes that follow the decent of each blink- they intrigue me- they pull me in. _

_- _

_Your hair is soft- is it any less than clouds? It fills my mind, bellowing into my dreams._

_- _

"She's so…peaceful. Will she ever-"

_-_

_Something as simple as your grin- why is it controlling me? Every word I say is attached to the strings pulled by your mouth. I only want to see you smile._

_- _

_I'm fascinated by the way you walk- slow and deliberate, fast and unpredictable. You glide in and out of my dreams- do you know it?_

_- _

"She's in there somewhere…"

_-_

_I don't need to wish for your voice. I hear it everywhere I go. You haunt me day and night._

_-_

_You're pulling on my heart with every intake of air-do you mean to breathe the way you do? I would hold my breath so you can take yours. _

_-_

_Your tears, they carry so much weight- heavy like the burdens I take to ease your pain. Don't cry- I want to make it better._

_-  
_

"Cindy? If…if you can hear me- I'm here. I'm…always here. I always will be."

_- _

_I need you._

_- _

"Please…please wake up."

_ -  
I need you._

_- _

"Come back to us, Cindy- wherever you are- come back to us."

_- _

_I need you._

_- _

"Cindy- I'm…I'm so sorry. So sorry…"

_-_

_Like the beat, beat, of my heart, _

_- _

_I need you._

_- _

_Wake up..._

_- _


	3. My List

**AN: **Hi, gang! I have a new one-shot for you, in Poem style. This was inspred by a story called _"Another Check Mark On The List"_. It's a poem about Cindy making a "Things To Do Before I Die" list...I hope you like it. Please reveiw!

**Reveiwers:**

**Magic15:** Thanks!  
**Mysticofthepen: **Wow, that's a large, and probably undeserved, compliment….thank you so much! I'm flattered.  
**JCfan519:** Okay, I will, lol!  
**acosta prez jos Ramiro: **As usual, your perceptiveness astounds me! Actually, I tried to write the chapter in such a way so the reader could interpret the apology as he/she wants. I'm glad it worked!  
**Cutie5; kingdom219:** …Actually, I'll consider it. But for the moment, I have a lot on my plate to finish first. If you liked the style of that one, I suggest you take a look at my other fic, "Dying Is An Art". I'm always hungry for reviews, and I'm particularly proud of that one, lol!  
**Retroville9: **Yeah, I'm always a sucker for the angst- type fic…sorry!  
**Snowboarder9: **I'm sorry! The basic idea was that Cindy was in the hospital, in a coma. Jimmy walks in, and the nurse and him talk for a moment, but he is distracted b his thoughts, which are the italicized parts. It's kind of random, but I think it worked out okay.  
**Follower of The Antichrist:** (Please see above favorable reviews)

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_Disclaimer: "Well, sure, I ran into the wall! It was shiny!" -My friend_

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**My List **

**- **

I've faced madness

Too many times:

Seen evil men

Commit evil crimes

-

I've heard world

Domination plans

Against alien forces,

Taken my stand

-

Good times, bad times:

I've laughed and cried

But there's still so much

To do before I die

-

So I thought

I'd make a list

And do my best

To comply with it

-

All the things

I vow to do

Before my time

On Earth is through:

-

I want to see

The river Nile

I want to make

A sick kid smile

-

I promise I will

Hang-glide someday

(And still live

To walk away!)

-

I want to read

All Shakespeare's works

I want to learn

To converse with Turks

-

I swear that I

Will play violin,

And with whales,

I know I'll swim

-

I will water ski,

It's true,

Do what only

Too few do

-

I will ride

On a camel's back

Fly a plane,

And that's a fact

-

I will see

Niagara falls,

Go see Rome's

Ancient walls

-

I want to teach

Someone a skill

Eat caviar

Until I've had my fill

-

I will read

The Bible through

I will see

A foreign zoo

-

I will learn

To walk a tightrope

I will build

A telescope

-

Every state,

I will see,

Of all languages,

I will learn at least 3

-

I sat back

Looked at my list

And realized it was

Missing this:

-

One last thing

I must do

Before my time

On Earth is through:

-

I will cast

My fear away

Vow not to waste

Another day,

-

I will leave

My comfort zone,

March right up

To his home

-

I will knock

Upon his door

Hear his footsteps

On the floor

-

And when he answers,

I'll meet his eyes

And hope he won't be

Too surprised

-

To see me standing

Heart open wide

I will open my mouth

And ditch my pride

-

I will say

What I never did:

The feelings I felt

Since I was a kid

-

I don't know

What will occur

When I finally

Say the words

-

But I've held them in

For too long:

For good or bad,

I love you, Neutron

-

My list is complete

Now, at last

What is future

Will soon be past

-

And when I get

To the end of my list,

Finally reaching

My final wish,

-

I've promised myself

I won't delay,

Whenever comes

That fateful day

-

Just what I said,

I will do,

I only pray

He'll love me too.

-


	4. Did You Get My Message?

**AN: **Hi, gang! Here's a ficlet that was inspired by _"Austin"_, sung by Blake Shelton...such a sweet song. Anyway, I'm very proud of the fact that I didn't resort to a sonfic- it's a stand alone chapter. I considered dividing it into a chaptered fic, but I felt it would be too short this way. Anyway, I hope you like it! Please don't forget to review!

**Reveiwers:**

**acosta perez jose ramiro: **Thank you! I hope this one is in character as well.  
**mysticofthepen: **(blush) Well, thank you very much!  
**Readrbug21:** Well, I guess it would work at any age, but I was thinking mid-teens. Thanks!  
**Nagroom92: **Thanks! Yeah, I plan on writing a bunch, one shots and longer stories as well.  
**kingdom219:** Thank you! I love it when people read my other stories, not just one.  
**animeromance92; MusicalGurl; beatgoeson654; badwolf1; TheZorpisuttle: **Wow, thanks! Please reveiw again!

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_Disclaimer: "I just called to say I love you." -Stevie Wonder_

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**Did You Get My Message?**

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Cindy set down the bag of groceries, heaving a sigh as heavy as the cans in the bottom. 

"Apartment sweet apartment…" She mumbled to herself, words echoing off the walls. Her gaze fell upon the phone as she threw her keys into a bowl on the counter. She allowed her mind to wander as her eyes stayed fixed upon it. "It's been almost two years…" she realized, with surprise, "since I've talked to him…must be three or four since I've seen him."

She shook herself from her thought long enough to reach into the bag and pull out a pint of ice cream. Leaving the rest of the groceries to wait, she grabbed a spoon from the dishwasher and headed for the couch. "Mmm. Pecan ripple." She commented, distracting herself from the additional phone that now sat to her right. She thought of reaching for the remote, but didn't move for it.

Still, she couldn't let the idea go.

"_What if.." _she thought to herself, as the first spoonful of ice cream entered her mouth, _"I just pick up the phone and call him_?" She studied the spoon as she twisted it in her hands. Sighing, she stabbed it back into the pint. "What would I _say_?"

She pondered this thought for a while, allowing ideas and thoughts to return to reruns of past conversations…and arguments. She tried to push down the pain of her unreturned feelings. _"I thought I buried that sensation…" _she barely thought, as a familiar lump returned to her throat. "Anyway…" She abstractedly started again, "it's probably all for the best that I never told him how I felt. I got on with my life, didn't I?"

But there was no answer to the most rhetorical of questions.

Trying another tactic, she shrugged as she crammed another spoonful into her mouth. "I guess I could just call him. I mean, we're still…friends." She turned toward the unassuming beast to her right, the phone that sat within her reach. "It's just that it's been so long…what will he think?" With a final spoonful into her mouth, she frowned. "Who cares? I can call if I want to!" She exclaimed, building up the anger until it bubbled into resolve.

She reached for the phone.

She tried, as she dialed the number, not to notice her heart, beating rhythmically faster with the press of every button.

And after a few breathless moments, it began to ring. Each moment that went by, echoing the ringing in her ears, lifted the churning in her stomach- like the Demon Drop, she knew the plummet of anxiousness would follow…"If he ever picks up…".

But he didn't.

Four, five rings went by, and she wasn't sure to be saddened or relived by the sound of a click- his answering machine. She waited as the message began to play, trying to think of something to say.

"Hey, you've reached Jimmy. If you're calling about Robo Pet 8000, it's on hiatus until I can work out the bugs. If this is someone from NASA, I'm on vacation for the weekend- I'll be out past Saturn until Sunday night- call back Monday. If it's anybody else, wait for the beep, you know what to do…"

As he paused, she couldn't help but smile at the tone of his voice- it had been too long. _"I'm not going to bother with a message…", _she decided, but before she could remove the phone to hang up, the sound of his voice stopped her.

"And P.S.: if this is Cindy Vortex…I'm in love with you."

After a moment or two, she registered the sound of the phone hitting the floor. Rushing to pick it up, she slammed it down into it's cradle, her hand over her mouth.

"_He…he…"_

But there were no words. Her heart continued to beat furiously as she replayed the words in her head.

"_After all this time, he… he loves me?"_

She couldn't believe the words, not yet, as they sunk down into her mind. She had barely hoped to think that he would remember her kindly, or at all. During so many years of fighting and anger, finally leading up to an awkward ceasefire through high school, Cindy had harbored a secret: a growing affection.

"_Did he feel it too?" _She had to wonder, thinking back on the kisses they had almost shared. _"I thought I was just going crazy - imagining the looks, the words, that I only hoped meant something! But there it was- plain as day. Has he really loved me all this time? That message… he waited for me to…" _She swallowed the growing lump in her throat. _"To finally call."_

She felt her head spin at the sudden realization of the chance he had took. _"How would he know? How would he know if I would ever call, or if I had called, and just never heard the message? Or", _she now considered, _"If I heard the message, and just…never cared."_

She tried to imagine what he thought and felt, tried to picture him, coming home to check his messages- waiting for a sign. Waiting for her.

"_Call back Monday." _She repeated to herself, remembering his message to the callers. _"He'll be back on Monday. Can I wait that long?"_

She glanced at the phone once more, remembering with a softening smile the tone of his words.

"_He's been waiting for me." _She reminded herself. _"I can return the favor."_

She got up to put the groceries away.

**-------**

She couldn't keep her hands from shaking as she dialed- although from excitement or nervousness, she wasn't sure. _"It's ringing…" _She thought, unable to think of a thing to say as she waited.

Four rings later, his voice entered the picture.

"Hey, this is Jimmy. If this is about the giant poodle in my yard, don't worry, he'll be back to normal in about 5.7 hours. If you're calling about the recent pluming problem in the Midwestern area of the state, no, it's not my fault this time. Aaaaand if this is Monday night, I'm bowling. Do your thing at the beep, and I'll get back with you."

He stopped once more, and for an excruciating second, her thoughts raced.

"_Is he going to say it? Was it just a one time…joke? Maybe he knew I never call. Maybe it was a dare…Maybe…oh, it could have been a thousand things! I was such an idiot!"_ She moved to throw the phone back onto it's cradle, until she heard him sigh.

"Oh, and…if this is Cindy Vortex," he said, as she listened to the pain in his voice, "I'm in love with you."

Her mind reeled- how long she had felt what his voice now carried. _"He feels hopeless…"_ She knew, feeling the memories of pain turning inside out to be his voice. _"Hopeless and stupid and alone."_

It was all she could do to leave her number.

-----------

"**Hiii-ya!" **She screamed, as her roundhouse kick slammed into the punching bag. She tried to pattern her breathing as she one-two-ed it into submission.

She couldn't stop. The hours had ticked by so slow, until it came, at last, to 9:00 at night. She was running out of things to do.

"_Will he ever call back?" _She tried desperately not to wonder. _"Should I call again? What if he changed his mind?" _She delivered a sloppy blade kick to the bag as she rolled her eyes at herself. _"That's ridiculous- why would he change his mind so soon? He probably just…" _

She stopped, tilting her head to the ringing in her ears.

"_The phone!"_ She screamed inwardly, as she ran to the living room. She gulped down a breathful of air, but it didn't slow the racing of her heart as she answered.

She had pondered this moment, over the hours: wondering what to say, if given the chance. Now, here it was, and she closed her eyes.

On the other end, he waited breathlessly as he heard the sound of her voice, nervously gentle.

"Hey, you've reached Cindy Vortex. If you're calling about my heart, it's been stolen. If this is about the rest of life, I'm taken. But if this is Jimmy Neutron…I love you too." She bit her lips as she waited- the seconds ticking slower than she could have imagined. Then, at last, she was able to breathe again.

"YYYYESSSSSSS!" He exclaimed, and she couldn't help but smile as she heard what she could only assume was the sound of him jumping around. "She! She! YES!" She covered her mouth to muffle the laugh as she heard a scrambling noise. "Ah! The machine! Er…"

But she had one final thing to say.

"By the way," She finished, as he quieted to hear the closing of the message, "this isn't an answering machine." Taking in another gulp of the sweetest air she had ever tasted, she smiled.

"Hello, Jimmy."

* * *

_JCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJCJC_

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**AN: **Aw, so sweet! I really love this storyline, I hope you did too. If you've never heard "Austin", I suggest you look it up! Until next time, stay cool!

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	5. Sick Day

**AN: **Well, this is kind of another long one-shot, but I think you'll like it. You know, it's hard writing in accents, but I never thought about sickness as an accent, lol! Yep, in this one, Cindy has the sniffles, so the way she talks is all...well, sniffly. I hope you like it! It's a Cindy first person POV...Don't forget to review!

**Reveiwers:**

**mysticofthepen: **Thanks! I know, I love "Austin" too!  
**acosta perez jose ramiro:** Yeah, I kind of thought it would be a great storyline for them: it really captured thier psycology...(sp?)  
**TVGirl2006; magic15 :** Thanks! You know, I was tempted to make it a chaptered fic, but I think I'll keep it to a one-shot, I've got a lot of irons in the fire right now...  
**Princess Angel Rose: **Wow, creepy! Lol! Thank you!  
**animeromance92; romancejunkie: **Wow, thank you so much!  
**Readrbug21:** Aw, I made you all sappy! Well, if mushy is your thing, you're gonna love this fic...  
**Follower Of The ANTICHRIST: **Wow, it's really sad that insulting me is your only pastime. But, to each his own!

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_Disclaimer: "I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more, just to be the man who walked a thousand miles to fall down at your door." - 500 Miles by the Proclaimers_

* * *

**Sick Day  
**

Being sick is never fun. I never got sick very often, even as a child- all that athleticsisim running through my veins, I guess. But, this particular bug is proving to be stubborn.

"(Sniff, Hack!) Ugh."

I can't help but make disgusting noises like this- it's not easy to be attractive when your entire body weight (in snot) happens to be dribbling out of your nose.

"You know, Cindy-" He starts, but I interrupt with another coughing fit.

"(Cough! Cough!) Hang on."

I reach for the (millionth) tissue and blow.

"...Ew."

I don't know why I have the particularly nasty habit of glancing inside the tissues I fill, but I do, and then I regret it. He rolls his eyes at me- he doesn't understand this habit of mine either. So I grin and hold it out to him.

"Wanna see?"

An eyebrow pops, reaching upward on his huge head. "Not...really. Why is it that you always do that to yourself?" He says, smile growing as he shakes his head.

I glance down at the pile of filled tissues laying around me. "Ah duno." I say, my stuffed nose blocking my ability to talk. "Maybe ah'm dus bored."

"Well, Cind," He says, as he gathers up the pile of tissues I had been staring at, "you _could _just let me take care of this."

Now it's my turn for my eyebrow to go up. "Righd." I manage, between sniffles, "An' hab a repead of da sick padch incident?"

He sighs, and rolls his eyes again. I watch as he drops the pile of used tissues into the incinerator. With a fiery 'phoosh', they disappear into oblivion.

"Cind, the patch was designed to _make_ you sick- this is completely different. Besides, that was over ten years ago! Surely you know I've improved since then, right?"

I'm sipping my orange juice now as I watch him.

"...Right?...Cind?"

I try to hide a smile. "Sure. Sure. Hey, can you hanb me a piddow?"

"Sure." He reaches over for a pillow off the easy chair and brings it to me in on the couch... but I can see that wrinkle in his forehead.

He brings me the pillow, and I hold up the OJ glass. "Refrill?" I ask, and he distractedly takes the glass.

"Uh-huh." He mutters, and he takes off for the kitchen. I count silently...one...two...three...

"I mean, you know I could cure you, right? I could do this." He calls, from the other room.

I smile as I lay back into the pillows. It was so easy to press his buttons. And when you're sick for a couple of days, any type of entertainment will do.

"Cind?" He says again, interrupting my thoughts.

"Hmm?" I ask, as I grab the new glass.

"Why don't you let me work on this?"

I take a long sip of the OJ, letting it slide down my throat. I sigh as I look at him, wrinkled forehead and frown making it obvious what he was thinking. "I'll get bwetter on my own." I insist.

He sighs. "But-"

"I know, I know, your inner scientisth is dying to mess with dis virus or whadeber."

He rolls his eyes _again_. Man, I never noticed how much he does this. But, at least he has a smile on his face. "Yeah, it's the virus I'm thinking about. It couldn't be, I don't know, my wife's _health _or anything."

"Why, Midsder Neudron, is that sarcadim I hear?"

"Never." He says, with a laugh, sitting down with me on the couch. I lean over toward him, and he puts an arm around me. It's quiet for a while, and I manage to go a few minutes without too many sniffles...that is, until a tickle in my throat makes me start hacking again.

"HACK! HACK!" I say, fasinatingly, into yet another tissue.

He sighs...again. "Why are you so stubborn?"

I smile at him after I blow away the evidence of another snotty moment. "Ah'm a Neudron?" I say, and I bat my eyelashes at him as we laugh together.

"Well, I guess that's as good a reason as any." He says, giving me a half-hug as I take another sip of my OJ.

We sit in silence again until I sigh, snuggling closer. "You know, Jimmy, id's not dat ah don't dhink dat you could cure dis."

He looks at me with a half smile as he waits for me to finish my latest coughing spree. "Really? What is it, then?"

"Ah...miss you." I say, looking at my lap.

He tilts his head in confusion as he brings a hand to my face. Lifting my head so he can look me in the eye, his voice comes out concerned. "What do you mean?"

I shift a little in my seat. "Well," I start, quietly, "You'de been working a lod ladly..."

"And?"

"And ah miss you, dad's all." I say, with a shrug.

"Cind," He says, with just a bit of a smile, "Why didn't you say something?"

I shrug again. "Ah dunno. Da world neebs you."

He shakes his head. "The world can wait."

I start to smile at this. "Nod always."

"Yes, well, barring impending world doom, it can."

"Danks." I say, sarcastically- but with a growing smile.

"Hey, if the world implodes, so do we."

"...Good poind."

He laughs at this...or maybe he's laughing at me, as I fill another tissue. "Ugh, gross!" I exclaim, as the snot goes right through the dumb flimsy thing.

He starts to laugh harder- until I throw it at him.

"Ech!" He exclaims, trying to dive out of the way, without success. "Gross is right." He peels it off his now snotty shirt and tosses it into the incinerator.

Now it's my turn to laugh- which I do, until it throws me into another coughing fit. He comes back over to the couch as my cold and I hash it out.

"HACK! HACK! (sniff)"

He sighs one more time as he sits back down. "Aw, Cind." He says, as he puts an arm around me. "You didn't have to get sick to get my attention."

"Huh", I manage, as the coughing subsides, "Coulda dold me dat before ah got sichk!"

He chuckles a little, and I give it a moment before I join him. I love this, sitting, being held in his arms, doing nothing. Even if I am dribbling all over myself (and him). Ew.

"I love you." He says, out of the blue, and I'm reminded of why I love him, too.

"Ah lub you, (sniff) doo." I say, followed by a sigh. Its_ so _much less romantic with a headfull of draining snot.

"You know," He says, as he plays with a stand of my hair, "I was actually planning a surprise for you."

"You were?"

"You see, I was planning on taking a week or two off work."

"Uh-huh..."

"And I was thinking..." He stalls, and I know he's toying with me.

"Oh, jus dell me already!" I demand, with a laugh.

"Well, maybe we could go somewhere...tropical."

"Dropical?" I repeat, with a wistful sigh. "Dad sounds gread!"

"Yeah! Just think of it, Cindy. You, me, a waterfall under a cloudless sky. It's been too long."

"Uh-huh!" I agree, as I close my eyes.

"A deserted, uncharted island...the wind blows, the birds sing, and there we are, sand in our toes."

"Mmm... ah wish we could go righd now!" I say, sighing again.

"We will, Cind, we will. There's only three more days in the work week- then we're gone!"

"Dey're really gonna led you go?"

"What are they gonna do, fire me?" He asks, with a laugh. "It's easy enough to get another job."

"When you're a geemeeus." I remind him with a smile.

"Yeah, this big head has perks sometimes, you know." He teases, poking me.

"Only dree days." I whisper to myself.

"Yep." He says, and I wait for him to finish. "...of course, we can't go if you're all...dribbly."

I try to force a glare toward him, but a laugh comes out instead. "Id ain'd easy being me." I whine, good-naturedly, and he laughs. I look at him, and he grins wide, giving me his best immatation of a blue eyed, hopeful little kid.

"Oh...all right." I finally say, giving in. "Go make wid da sciembce."

"Really?" He asks, _just _like a little kid, and I have to laugh at him.

"Yeah, yeah. Justh mabe me bedder quick."

"Your wish is my command." He says, and after a kiss on the forehead, he's gone, down to the lab to work his magic.

I sniffle. It's no fun being alone and sick.

But for a tropical island, a cheerful husband, and an end to the sniffles, I'll compromise.


End file.
